Thanks alot for your help. The biggest thing that is a pain for me is the wheels. I've looked at lots of pictures and your 3.75 inch backspacing looks flush with the flares and I've seen others that stick out past the flares way to much for my liking with the same backspacing and have seen 4" backspacing on xj's that stick out further than your 3.75" so I'm super confused cause I don't want to not like it and have to send the wheels back. The only thing that I see different is that your wheels are 7 inches wide and I think other people have 8 inch wide wheels. I wouldn't think that would make a big difference but I'm new ti this. So are 7 inch wide wheels good for 31x10.50's or does it matter. I just want the jeep to look like it came from the factory.

 

First thing that comes to my mind, you say you've seen wheels with 4" of backspacing that stick out farther than my 3.75" wheels? Do you know for a fact that those wheels did not have an aftermarket spacer installed behind them, that may be why. I'm no expert but heres my understanding of backspacing. Less is more, allow me to explain. Backspacing is the distance between the inner edge of the wheel and the mounting surface, that being said, the less backspacing, the more the wheel and ultimately the tire is going to stick out. With this in mind, on a stock axle settup without aftermarket spacers a 3.75" will stick out .25" or 1/4" more than a wheel with 4.00" of backspace. If your running the stock axles with no spacers a 7" wide rim with 3.75" backspacing should set a 31/10.50/15 right at the point that the tread will be covered by the stock flair (what I was going for, Utahs pretty serious about this). To answer your other question, yes, a 10.50 does just fine on the 7" rim. Again, I'm no expert, this is the info I got from dude at Discount tire when I bought em, on account of I did'nt even know what backspacing was when I got into this crazy project. Hope that helps.

 

You realize this is a build not the tech section right?

 

Thanks Ryan, I was getting ready to say something before the picures started flooding in. Geez, you try to be nice and help out and sometimes it backfires I guess.
Dude! I answered your questions best I could, as Ryan noted it might be time to wander over to the tech threads for your questions and not load my thread up with unrelated pictures and junk. Hint: search backspacing.

 

I do realize that but I'm also trying to figure out what back spacing I need on my wheels so it sits like his because I don't understand why people with 4 inch back spacing wheels stick out further then his 3.75" backspacing. Thanks

 

Wow!

 

Here u go... https://www.cherokeeforum.com/search...archid=2722935

 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
Spending the day in the shop tommorow, going to pull the locker and see if I can find the source of all the fun new clicks and thumps it's developed since Moab. If I get that figured out and if time permits I hope to manipulate my exhaust away from the driveline (rubbing when the suspension compresses) and the gas tank skid (yeah, more new fun sounds). If theirs any daylight left after that I hope to get my adjustable trackbar mounted up. Wish me luck.

 

Good luck man! Let me know when ur ready to weld up those spiders! Lol

 

I'd be bugging you to let me come by tommorow and have you help me weld em up after my experience with Richmonds product thus far, but I still gotta DD this sucker for a couple years or until I win the Lotto so I can get a tow rig & trailer, Lol!

 

I know I'm just busting ur ***** man!

 

Brand new member here. Really like your build. I have just started mine on a 2001. Can you keep us up to date on the locker experience?

Thanks,

John

 

Somehow I've missed this build until today. Really nice looking Jeep. Looks like you're kinda in the same mindset as I am. Streetable and clean, yet capable. And just like you, I'm wheeling it in places now that I really hadn't planned on when I bought it. Keep up the good work man!

 

Hey man, I was browsing some of the build threads, and I just had to say, yours is real clean. I like what you've done a lot, model xj.

 

Thanks guys, its definately a labour of Love/Hate.
I found some time to dig into the locker today to see what I tore up in Moab and just as I expected I broke the active spacer on the right side. The Powertrax becomes pretty *****y when that happens, Ha ha! I'm thinking its another victim of my overweight right foot on that trip.
Luckily I had a spare and my C-clip removal tool I built worked like magic, I had the locker out and back in in an hour and shes quiet again.
I was able to also tweak my exhaust to get my muffler to quit hitting my driveline and the tailpipe away from the gas tank skid.